Photographs of the early years of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Dear Friends,

We have uploaded a set of photographs of the early years of Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Through these photographs one could relive history for they comprise of snapshots of the four separate buildings which now constitute the Ashram main building, construction of ‘Golconde’— the oldest dormitory/guest house of the Ashram, courtyard of the Ashram, Christmas celebrations, Ashram Cricket Team, etc. Some photos of the early members of the Ashram are also included here.

With warm regards,

Anurag Banerjee

Founder,

Overman Foundation.

*

Early Disciples - group photo

Early inmates of the Ashram, 1923.

Top (left to right): Rajangam, Tirupati, Khitish, Nolini Kanta Gupta, Satyen alias Vindyeswari Prasad, Kanailal Ganguly, Bijoy Kumar Nag, Ambalal Balakrishna Purani and Nagaratnam.

Centre: Punamchand, Champaben (Punamchand’s wife), Mrs. Kodandaraman and Kodandaraman Rao.

Bottom: Champaklal, Suresh Chandra Chakravarti alias Moni, K.Amrita and Manmohan.

Library house

Library House

 Sri Aurobindo and the Mother had shifted to the “Library House” at 9, Rue de la Marine in October 1922. It was purchased on 6 April 1929 for Rs. 21000.

Library House view from south-east

 View of the “Library House” from the south-east.

Meditation House

Meditation House

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother had shifted to the “Meditation House” at 28 Rue François Martin on 8 February 1927. This house was rented from 1 January 1927 and purchased on 13 July 1927 for Rs. 14000.

Rosary House

Rosary House

Situated at 10 Rue de la Marine, the “Rosary House” was purchased on 16 December 1937 for Rs. 15000.

The Old Secretariat

Secretariat House

Situated at 8 Rue Saint Gilles, the “Secretariat House” was rented in May 1926 and purchased on 23 March 1929 for Rs. 3000.

Vasudha, Dayaben, Lakshmiben, Kamala, Motiba, Prasanna in 1928

Vasudha, Dayaben, Lakshmiben, Kamala, Motiba and Prasanna in 1928.

Sept 1929A photograph taken in September 1929. Shanti Joshi can be seen in this photograph.

Bansidhar, Champaklal, Motiba and Kantilal in 1932

Bansidhar, Champaklal, Motiba and Kantilal in 1932.

Tara ben

                                                   Taraben

Construction of Golconde 1940

Construction of Golconde, 1940.

Golconde Construction 1940

Construction of Golconde, 1940.

Construction of Golconde 1942

Construction of Golconde, 1942.

Central courtyard of the Ashram 1942

Central Courtyard of the Ashram, 1942.

Children in Ashram courtyard in 1945

Children in Ashram Courtyard, 1945.

Noel in Red House (opp the Ashram Library)  in 1945

Noel in Red House (opposite the Ashram Library), 1945.

Ashram Cricket Team late 1940s

Ashram Cricket Team (late 1940s).

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24 Replies to “Photographs of the early years of Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

  1. Thank you very much for the invaluable pictures of those days.what a great Blossoming from simple beginings…and now we look forward to the establishment of the New World…I see it happening before my eyes

  2. But for the sadhaka of the integral Yoga this inner or this outer solitude can only be incidents or periods in his spiritual progress. Accepting life, he has to bear not only his own burden but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country. He has not only to conquer in himself the forces of egoistic falsehood and disorder, but to conquer them as representatives of the same adverse and inexhaustible forces in the world. Their representative character gives them a much more obstinate capacity of resistance, an almost endless right to recurrence. Often he finds that even after he has won persistently his own personal battle, he has still to win it over and over again in a seemingly interminable war, because his inner existence has already been so much enlarged that not only it contains his own being with its well-defined needs and experiences, but is in solidarity with the being of others, because in himself he contains the universe.

    Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga, ch. The Yoga of Divine Works, pp. 77-8.

    [Submitted by Paulette, Auroville]

  3. photos, just superb really very deeply touching ,it really reminds me of the days when real sadhaks built Mothers ashram……keep it up
    dayanidhi patel

  4. The photographs of the early Ashram inmates, the immortal pioneers of a new race and a new age are truly inspiring. They speak of the hour of God.
    Madhava rao

  5. Dear Anurag,

    No words can be too high for what you’re doing! Truly wonderful photos! Thanks once again for letting us have a peep through the gates of heaven.

    Best ever
    Arupda

  6. wonderful. I was born in 1968 and it was a dream of mine to see these photographs. I thank you sincerely for this lovely and rare collections.
    Thanx again.

  7. I keep coming to this site again and again. Seeing the photographs of the pioneers and pictures of the Ashram in its early days transports me to that era. I feel as if I was there, it gives me peace. I admire and envy all the pioneers for they saw the foundation of a new creation and god at work.

  8. No words to express ….I always wished that I was there at the Ashram when our Guru was physically present and these pictures took me there….. Thank you ….they are awesome….!!!!

  9. Thank you for the tremendous service you are rendering..it is beyond praise. these photographs took me back to my childhood in the ashram, when i had the good fortune of a child recieving the love of the senior sadhaks such as Nolini da, Champaklal da, and others…these pictures took me back, and i relive the sacredness of those times. thank you.

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